


That Fuzzy Feeling

by TheSpaceCoyote



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cat Cafés, Fluff, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 16:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13170330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: Despite their complicated feelings on cats, Jack and Rhys band together to do something nice and feline-related for their boyfriend as a Christmas gift.





	That Fuzzy Feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rednaelo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rednaelo/gifts).



> Last of the Borderlands gift exchange fics! I hope you enjoy it!

Sometimes, giving someone the perfect gift required a bit of sacrifice.

Rhys didn’t dislike cats, not necessarily. They were cute enough in pictures and videos, stuffed into ridiculous costumes or hunting laser pointers on the ground. He even had a cat plush, gifted last Christmas, that was soft and extremely huggable and strawberry-scented and a decent enough substitute for comfort when he was upset but both boyfriends were still out at work or running errands.

So, the idea of cats? Pretty great.

But cats in reality? Absolute _murder_ on his poor sinuses.

And yet, Timothy had been _gushing_ about the grand opening of a “cat cafe” a couple of blocks from their apartment. Thanks to Jack, Rhys had picked up the bad habit of snooping at people’s phones, and throughout the entire month he’d been catching a whole lot of Cat-Ucchino’s social media page on Tim’s.

So when Jack had sat down to brainstorm with Rhys about what to get Tim for Christmas, the answer had been obvious. There was really only one thing they _could_ get him to really knock his socks off.

Jack wanted their gift to be so good it would make Tim cry.

So he had flashed enough cash to get them a reservation on Christmas Eve, when the rest of the country was busy bustling around scrounging for last minute gifts. But the cafe was peaceful, painted in pink and peach pastels and draped in minimalist decor stripped right from Instagram. A private little oasis, away from the festive madness sweeping up everyone outside.

However, even the mellow indie music filtering through the bluetooth speaker on the front desk counter did little to ease Rhys’ growing nerves.

He tapped his foot. He checked his phone. He scratched the back of his neck. Tim had said he was on his way, but he was late.

“Will you stop?” Jack hissed, grabbing Rhys’ forearm as he went to bite his nails. It was a bad habit that he was trying to kick, and both his boyfriends knew it. But only Jack would usually call him on it.

“I’m just _nervous_.”

“Why?” Jack snorted. “We’ve got this whole place rented out for the rest of the evening…it’s not like he’s gonna miss it. These people aren’t gonna skip out on the 300% commission I’m paying.” Jack waved to the employees, most of whom were either idly playing with or feeding the cats as they waited for the third guest to arrive.

“I know, I just want him to get here before I—ah—ah— _achoo!_ ” Rhys sneezed so violently that one of the cats leapt into the air, landing on her feet and shooting him a _look_ that transcended the human-animal language barrier. Rhys frowned, rubbing at his numb nose.

“Before you sneeze your brains out?” Jack finished for him as Rhys gratefully accepted a square of tissue from one of the employees. He blew his nose, rubbing ruefully at the swollen skin. Not very attractive, but Jack was also absently scratching his balls from the outside of his jeans, so at least they matched.

The younger man snuffled, distastefully balling up the used tissue and tossing it in the small, stainless steel trash can near the front desk.

Jack had said their gift would be good enough to make Tim cry. But if his allergies kept acting up, Rhys was fairly sure he’d be the one to shed a tear first.

They stood in the foyer leading into the cafe, able to look inside the main room. The flooring was sleek, fresh with lacquer and free of the usual scuff that came from running a business in the city. The patterned chairs and cat trees looked almost new, not ratty from the endless claws that probably kneaded them every single day. Even the cats seemed clean, their fur fluffy and shiny as they padded softly over the floor and mewed at the waiting employees for treats or pets.

Not that it helped much. You could run the cats through a washing machine and it wouldn’t help stop the dander the inexorably invaded Rhys’ sinuses.

“Ugh.” He pulled his silk scarf up over his nose, breathing deep of his own cologne. Teakwood and vanilla. He wasn’t allergic to _that_.

Next to him, Jack huffed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth in place. Rhys had noticed he’d been trying to distract himself by looking at his phone or readjusting his cuffs, but his eyes always drifted back to behind the front desk where the cats were playing. One of the employees had pulled out a toy with a bundle of colorful feathers at the end and was dragging it over the floor. One sleek, sable cat was chasing after it, blue eyes slitting as it batted the helpless toy.Jack’s eyes followed the movements of the paws, and Rhys was pretty sure he caught a quick flicker of a smile on the older man’s lips before he suppressed it.

“Why don’t you go play with the cats, Jack?” Rhys spoke up, voice muffled by his scarf.

The older man bit back his yearning, before shaking his head.

“Nah. Me and _cats_ don’t really mix too well.”

Rhys snorted, disbelieving.

“That’s not what that smile said.”

Jack deliberately furrowed his brows and deepened his lips into a steady frown.

“…I mean, I’m not a walking quarantine like you, kiddo. But lets just say….you have one bad experience with a cat, _kiiiiinda_ taints them all. No matter how uh…really frikkin’ cute they are.”

“At least you’re not constantly suffering like me.” Rhys took the entire tissue box from the front desk, wiping a clump at his streaming nose. He felt like someone was stuffing cotton balls into his frontal lobe. Probably trying for the World Record.

Rhys was about ready to call Tim and badger him on the arrival time, holiday traffic be damned, when the cafe door opened with a tiny, chiming _mew_. Both Rhys and Jack whirled around to find their man of the evening, Timothy Lawrence, dusting snow from his jacket. A bright smile already beamed across Timothy’s face, his freckles scrunching in that way that sent Jack and Rhys’ hearts aflutter.

“You guys….you didn’t…”

“Tim!” Rhys cried, though with his nose, it came out more like “Timb.” But even swollen sinuses and snot couldn’t damper the joy he felt at his other boyfriend’s arrival. He wrapped Tim up in a firm hug, careful not to rub his streaming nose against his boyfriend’s peacoat. 

“Merry Christmas, kiddo,” Jack chuckled, wrapping both hugging boyfriends in yet another hug. He planted a kiss on both of their temples, rubbing them affectionately on their backs.

“You know Rhysie’s too allergic for us to get ya a real cat, so….next best thing, right?” Jack winked as they disentangled from the hug. “Play with these guys for the next six hours and you might just get it out of your system.”

Tim sidestepped to look around the front desk, utterly charmed as he watched the cats, some bounding over the floors after toys, others curled up in the empty chairs for a nap. Rhys sidled up besides him, hand around Tim’s waist as he leaned in close.

“Before we start though, um. I think I know what _I_ want for Christmas.”

Tim cocked his head, looking up at his boyfriend.

“What?”

Rhys opened his wallet, placing a five in his boyfriend’s hand.

“Some Ambien from the pharmacy across the street.”


End file.
